1. Canons Regarding Parish Records
Archives and Records
Canons Regarding Parish Records
Presentation prepared by Linda Bearie, Chancellor of the Diocese of San José. © Linda Bearie. All rights reserved.

2. Diocesan Archives Inventory Canon 491
The diocesan bishop is to see to it that the acts and documents of the archives of cathedral, collegiate, parochial and other churches in his territory are diligently preserved; also inventories or catalogs are to be made in duplicate, one of which is to be kept in the church’s own archive and the other in the diocesan archive.
Inventory
Presentation prepared by Linda Bearie, Chancellor of the Diocese of San José. © Linda Bearie. All rights reserved.

3. Parish Archives
Canon 535
Each Parish is to possess a set of parish books to include baptismal, marriage and death registers… the pastor is to see to it that these registers are accurately inscribed and carefully preserved.
Parish Register
Presentation prepared by Linda Bearie, Chancellor of the Diocese of San José. © Linda Bearie. All rights reserved.

4. Parish Archives
Canon 535
In the baptismal register are also to be noted the person’s confirmation and whatever affects the canonical status of the Christian faithful by reason of marriage… adoption, reception of holy orders, perpetual profession in a religious institute, and change of rite; these notations are always to be noted on a document which certifies the reception of baptism.
Presentation prepared by Linda Bearie, Chancellor of the Diocese of San José. © Linda Bearie. All rights reserved.

5. Parish Archives
Canon 535
Each parish is to possess its own seal; documents which are issued to certify the canonical status of the Christian faithful as well as all acts which can have juridic importance are to be signed by the pastor or his delegate and sealed with the parish seal.
Parish
Seal
Presentation prepared by Linda Bearie, Chancellor of the Diocese of San José. © Linda Bearie. All rights reserved.

6. Parish Archives
Canon 535
Each parish is to have a registry or archive in which the parish books are kept along with episcopal letters and other documents which ought to be preserved due to necessity or usefulness… the pastor is to take care that they do not come into the hands of outsiders.
Presentation prepared by Linda Bearie, Chancellor of the Diocese of San José. © Linda Bearie. All rights reserved.

7. Parish Archives
Canon 535
The older parish books are also to be carefully preserved in accord with the prescriptions of particular law.
Archives
Presentation prepared by Linda Bearie, Chancellor of the Diocese of San José. © Linda Bearie. All rights reserved.

8. Baptism Record
Canon 877
The pastor of the place where the baptism is celebrated must carefully and without delay record in the baptismal book the names of those baptized, making mention of the minister, parents, sponsors, witnesses if any, and the place and date of the conferred baptism, together with an indication of the date and place of birth.
Presentation prepared by Linda Bearie, Chancellor of the Diocese of San José. © Linda Bearie. All rights reserved.

9. Baptism Record
Canon 878
If the baptism was administered neither by the pastor nor in his presence, the minister of the baptism, whoever it is, must inform the pastor of the parish in which the baptism was administered, so that he may record it...
Presentation prepared by Linda Bearie, Chancellor of the Diocese of San José. © Linda Bearie. All rights reserved.

10. Confirmation Record Canon 895
The names of the confirmed with mention of the minister, the parents and the sponsors, the place and date of the conferral of confirmation are to be noted in… a book kept in the parish archive; the pastor must advise the pastor of the place of baptism about the conferral of confirmation so that notation be made in the baptismal register...
Presentation prepared by Linda Bearie, Chancellor of the Diocese of San José. © Linda Bearie. All rights reserved.

11. Marriage Record
Canon 1121
After a marriage has been celebrated, the pastor of the place of celebration… should as soon as possible note the following in the marriage register: the names of the spouses, the person who assisted and the witnesses, the place and date of the marriage celebration...
Presentation prepared by Linda Bearie, Chancellor of the Diocese of San José. © Linda Bearie. All rights reserved.

12. Marriage Records Canon 1122
The contracted marriage is also to be noted in the baptismal register in which the baptism of the spouses has been inscribed.
If the marriage was contracted in a parish where a spouse was not baptized, the pastor of the place where it was celebrated is to send a notice of the contracted marriage as soon as possible to the pastor where the baptism was conferred.
Presentation prepared by Linda Bearie, Chancellor of the Diocese of San José. © Linda Bearie. All rights reserved.

13. Parish Property
Canon 1283
Before administrators take office they are to prepare, sign and subsequently renew an accurate and detailed inventory of immovable goods, movable goods, either precious or of significant cultural value, or other goods along with a description and appraisal of them.
one copy of this inventory is to be kept in the archives of the administration; the other, in the curial archives; any changes whatever which the patrimony may undergo is to be noted on each copy.
Presentation prepared by Linda Bearie, Chancellor of the Diocese of San José. © Linda Bearie. All rights reserved.

14. Parish Property
Canon 1284
All administrators are bound to fulfill their office with the diligence of a good householder. For this reason they must:
… duly arrange and keep in a suitable and safe archive the documents and deeds upon which are based the rights of the Church or the institution to its goods; deposit authentic copies of them in the archive of the curia when it can be done conveniently.
Presentation prepared by Linda Bearie, Chancellor of the Diocese of San José. © Linda Bearie. All rights reserved.

15. Parish Report
Canon 1287
Both clerical and lay administrators of any ecclesiastical good whatsoever… are bound by their office to present the local ordinary with an annual report, which in turn he is to present to the finance council for its consideration.
Administrators are to render an account to the faithful concerning the goods offered by the faithful to the Church.
Presentation prepared by Linda Bearie, Chancellor of the Diocese of San José. © Linda Bearie. All rights reserved.